Mobile and connected devices (e.g., smart phones, tablets, etc.), which provide Internet connectivity to device users on the move, are transforming patterns of social and business behavior. Consumers are increasingly integrating mobile behaviors into their lifestyles. There is a growing use of mobile applications, not merely mobile search browsers, for diverse purposes including automatically receiving varied information and communications.
Popular applications for mobile computing devices include “maps” applications that make varied geographic information available to users. The geographic information that these maps applications can provide includes, for example, geographic or cartographic maps, orthoimagery (aerial photographs), elevation, geographic names, hydrography, boundaries, transportation, structures and land cover, etc.
Further, mobile computing devices commonly incorporate location-determining technology (e.g., GPS), which can determine the instantaneous latitude and longitude co-ordinates (“GPS location”) of the mobile computing devices. Other location-determining technologies (e.g., cell tower or wireless access point triangulation) are also available and in widespread use for determining the instantaneous geographic locations of mobile computing devices.
The geographic information provided by the maps applications can be based on the instantaneous locations of the mobile computing devices. The maps applications can, for example, include navigation functions that use device location to provide the same navigation information (e.g., street maps, turn-by-turn voice guidance and automatic rerouting, etc.) that is provided by stand-alone satellite navigation systems. However, Internet-connected maps applications can further use device location information in powerful web-searches to provide a slew of local “navigation state” information in addition to the geographic maps including, for example, current (snapped-to-road) location, intended destination, route to destination, traffic status, distance remaining, estimated arrival time, full place restaurant reviews and summaries from Zagat editors, detailed maps with 3D buildings, indoor mapping, public transportation information, zoom-able street views, live traffic information, terrain, transit lines, route planners for traveling by foot, car, or bike, ride finders, urban business locator maps, etc. An example maps navigation application even plots out Wikipedia entries related to the device location.
Third party applications may have use for the navigation state information generated by a maps application, for example, to provide targeted location-based services or features to a mobile computing device user. However, considerations of user autonomy and privacy preclude unrestricted exposure of the navigation state information by the maps application to the third party applications.
Consideration is now being given to ways of implementing user approval or authorization procedures for exposure of the navigation state information generated by a maps application to third party applications.